


Let's not pretend

by Gilrael



Series: Paraphernalia [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AkiSae make an appearance, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Mental Health Issues, Mentions of past DaiYui
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-24 19:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13817460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gilrael/pseuds/Gilrael
Summary: The company had been struggling – hell, the entire industry had been in a slump for years, but Yui had been optimistic. She had worked hard, had tried to improve their sales, and in the end, she had failed. The last thing she told her former subordinates was that she believed in them and their ability to overcome this setback.And then Yui went home and cried her eyes out.---Overcoming hardship is easier with a friend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sapphire_eyes27](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphire_eyes27/gifts).



> And here we are again with this modern fantasy AU and the promised KiyoYui spin off! This is set several years after Runes and spellbooks ends, but if UkaTake is not your cup of tea, you can just read [this short little tumblr post about the setting](https://gilrael.tumblr.com/post/166794608203/the-setting-of-runes-and-spellbooks) and jump right in!
> 
> This is also a birthday present for a very dear friend of mine. Go wish her a happy birthday [on tumblr!](http://rolling-blunder.tumblr.com)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This chapter is also available as a podfic!](https://soundcloud.com/user-721921950/lets-not-pretend-chapter-1)

“We have to declare bankruptcy.”

It felt like the floor was pulled out from under Yui's feet. She had been twenty-two when she started working in the marketing department of a small publishing company. Fresh out of university, she had been burning with enthusiasm. Now, seven years and several promotions later, Yui was out of a job. Maybe she should've seen it coming. The company had been struggling – hell, the entire industry had been in a slump for years, but Yui had been optimistic. She had worked hard, had tried to improve their sales, and in the end, she had failed. The last thing she told her former subordinates was that she believed in them and their ability to overcome this setback.

And then Yui went home and cried her eyes out.

 

~~~

 

_We are sorry, but we have decided to choose someone else for the position of..._

 

Sighing, Yui rested her head on her table. It was the seventh rejection letter Yui had received that week alone. It was no wonder, really. Not in this economy, not with her only work experience being with a publisher that had recently gone under.

But she wasn't going to give up yet. Just because she couldn't get a job in a similar position as she used to hold at her old company, didn't mean she couldn't get a job at all.

 

~~~

 

“Data entry, huh? You might be able to work your way back up,” Kiyoko said, setting down her cup of coffee.

“The pay sucks, but it's better than being unemployed,” Yui's grumbling was barely audible over the chatter of the café.

“What are you going to do about your flat?”

“I gotta move out,” Yui sighed, leaning back in her chair. “I'll be getting my full security deposit back, so I can put that towards the deposit for a smaller flat, and I'll be selling some of my furniture.”

“If you need help, I'll be here for you, okay?” Kiyoko offered, voice soft and full of concern. Yui's heart ached. She had never wanted to be a burden to her best friend.

“You don't need to worry about me. I'm a tough cookie,” Yui said, putting on the biggest grin she could muster. It was forced, leaving behind a bitter taste that only accentuated the hollow feeling in Yui's chest.

 

~~~

 

“Who the fuck even uses printed questionnaires for surveys anymore?” Yui muttered, rubbing her eyes. The person who had filled out the form that was currently in front of her had the worst chicken scratch for handwriting Yui had ever seen. It was even worse than Daichi's, and her ex was a freaking healer.

Maybe she should take her lunch break now, but she didn't feel particularly hungry. Not that she had had much of an appetite at all recently.

Yui closed her eyes, slapped her cheeks and exhaled loudly before turning her gaze back to the form. She had to do this. This was her job now.

 

~~~

 

“You look exhausted.” The concern in Kiyoko's voice made Yui's stomach churn. Yui didn't like seeing that crease between Kiyoko's brows that always appeared when she worried. She wanted Kiyoko to be happy, to smile and laugh with her.

“I was reading a novel last night and I was really into it, so I lost track of time,” Yui said. It wasn't a lie, really. It was true that she had been reading a novel, but she had been aware of how late it was. She just hadn't wanted to put down the book, because once she left her fantasy worlds, she would be back to staring at the ceiling, thinking about all the mistakes she'd made, thinking about what she could have done differently to prevent the bankruptcy.

There was doubt in Kiyoko's eyes, but she let it go. Yui knew that her friend would never judge her for this, and yet it was impossible to talk to her. Over the years, Yui had carefully crafted the facade of a strong and career-driven woman, and now that it was beginning to crumble, she was wary of anything that would cause it to crash down around her.

 

~~~

 

Yui was oscillating between extremes. Sometimes she would lie awake for hours and go to work worn out and sleep-deprived. And then there were phases when she would fall asleep right after coming home from work, only to oversleep and show up at work barely on time without having had dinner or breakfast. Sleep had never been an issue for her, not even at university. Yes, there had been times when she had pulled all-nighters, keeping Kiyoko company when Yui's friend had to catch up on the insane workload her mind-manipulation courses placed on her. But those times Yui had intentionally gone without sleep. This – whatever it was – was not normal.

 

~~~

 

The shrill ring of the doorbell ripped Yui from her sleep. Groggily, she turned around in bed to look at her alarm clock.

“Wha–”

It was way past noon. She had wanted to meet up with Kiyoko for lunch on her day off.

“Fuck!” She jumped out of her futon, scrambling to get to the door where Kiyoko was waiting for her, a stern look on her face.

“Did I wake you up?”

“I am so sorry! I slept through my alarm,” Yui explained, letting her friend inside the flat. Kiyoko had a look around, her eyes lingering on the dishes piled up in the kitchen sink and the clothes littering the floor. Yui wished for a hole to open up in the ground so she could disappear in it.

“Yui...” Kiyoko pushed aside a t-shirt and kneeled down at Yui's table. “We need to talk about this.”

“There's nothing to talk about, really,” Yui mumbled, sitting down across from her. “I lost a job I really liked and now I'm an office grunt because nobody wants to employ a fuckup like me.”

“You know as well as I do that it's not your fault that the company went bankrupt,” Kiyoko said, smiling softly. “Marketing can only do so much if upper management refuses to acknowledge that times are changing and that their business needs to adapt. But I wanted to talk about something different.” Kiyoko opened her purse and pulled out a business card, placing it on the table in front of Yui.

“What's this?” Yui asked, picking it up.

 

_Tanaka Saeko_

_Psychotherapist, certified mind healer_

 

“As much as I would like to do this myself, I don't think it would be very professional to take on my best friend as a client,” Kiyoko said. “I can't force you to do this, but please think about it. Maybe Saeko-san will find out that there's nothing wrong after all, but there is no harm in talking to her.”

Therapy. Of course.

Yui looked up from the business card and nodded. “I'll call her.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some Kiyoko POV :)  
> [This chapter is also available as a Podfic!](https://soundcloud.com/user-721921950/lets-not-pretend-chapter-2)

University had been the hardest time of Kiyoko's life. As much as she had loved studying magic and psychology, the workload had been utterly insane. Ukai-sensei had warned her that it would be like that and he'd done his best to prepare her, but she had still eventually caved under the pressure.

In those moments, Yui had always been there for her. She had kept Kiyoko company during all-nighters, made her take breaks and encouraged her to push through the fatigue. And afterwards, when all the assignments had been handed in, Yui had walked her home and tucked her in.

Now it was time for Kiyoko to pay back the favour. She had always made a point not to let her job as a mind healer bleed into her relationships, but after watching Yui waste away for two months, she felt like she had to step in. It certainly felt like the right thing to do when she put down Saeko-san's business card in front of Yui.

The next morning, however, she was plagued with doubt. Maybe she had overreacted. Maybe she should've talked to Yui a little more before referring her to Saeko-san. But there was no going back anymore. She texted Yui to ask whether she had already made an appointment and Yui replied almost immediately that she had.

 

~~~

 

Being a mind healer was stressful but ultimately fulfilling.

“Thank you very much,” Suzuki-san said, bowing.

“Have a nice evening.”

He threw Kiyoko one last nervous smile and left her office. Sighing, she looked at her schedule to make sure that this had really been her last appointment of the day. Therapy sessions with Suzuki-san were always a little harder than with other patients because he wasn't yet truly convinced of her methods. A lot of Kiyoko's patients had been sceptical at first – mind healing was a very new discipline of magic after all and the stigma that came with all types of mind manipulation was attached to it – but they usually came around after a couple of sessions.

 _All in due time_ , Kiyoko thought as she gathered her things into her bag and left the clinic. She had barely set foot outside when her phone chimed with a bunch of message notifications.

 

From: Yui

> I totally forgot who Saeko-san was

> Never would have thought that she'd actually become a mind healer

> She doesn't seem the type

> My first session was good tho

> I'm glad you told me to do this

 

Heaving an internal sigh of relief, Kiyoko started walking to the bus stop.

 

~~~

 

 

Kiyoko made it a point to ask Yui out for coffee regularly, knowing that it would do Yui good to leave her flat for something other than work now and then.

“Saeko-san suggested I pick up volleyball again,” Yui said on such an occasion. “I don't know if there are any neighbourhood teams around here, though.”

“I think I saw a poster at the community centre...” Kiyoko mused, pulling out her phone for a quick google search.

The second result that popped up was for the local neighbourhood association's women's team. Kiyoko pushed her phone over to Yui who immediately started scrolling through the website.

“I haven't played in so long, though,” she sighed as she gave the phone back. “I'll probably embarrass myself.”

“I can go with you if you want,” Kiyoko offered. She wasn't particularly keen on playing volleyball, but if it made Yui more comfortable, she would be willing to try. “I've never played outside of PE, so people will think you are great compared to me.”

Yui's laughter knocked the breath right out of Kiyoko's lungs. Kiyoko hadn't heard Yui laugh so freely in months, and until this moment she hadn't noticed how much she missed the sound of it.

“You don't have to come with me,” Yui finally said, grinning. “I know you're busy. But thanks for offering.”

 

~~~

 

“He finally proposed to you?” Kiyoko couldn't help the smile. So this was why Saeko-san had suddenly asked her if she wanted to grab dinner with her.

“If Akiteru had waited any longer, I would've done it myself,” Saeko-san said holding out her hand to show off her ring. It was a simple rose gold band without any ornaments, but Kiyoko had to admit that it suited her better than a fancy diamond ring would.

“So, when is the wedding going to be?”

Saeko-san shrugged and took a sip of her beer. “The date hasn't been finalised yet, but we are shooting for the end of September.”

The waitress interrupted their conversation at that point, setting their orders down in front of them.

“So... Is there a potential plus-one you'd like to bring to the wedding?” Saeko-san asked after they had finished half of their bowls in comfortable silence. Kiyoko almost choked on her pork cutlet as Yui's smiling face crossed her mind.

“N-not... not really,” she stuttered, leaning forward to let her hair hide her glowing cheeks.

“Kiyoko-chan, there's no use in lying to me,” Saeko-san said, grinning wolfishly. “Pour your heart out to Saeko-nee! I promise I won't make fun of you.”

“That's not it... I'll tell you some other time.”

“Haaa, suit yourself.” Saeko-san pouted. “You have half a year left until September, so you'll have plenty of time to woo them.”

 

~~~

 

Being in love with your best friend wasn't always sunshine and roses. There were times when it hurt like hell, especially in her first couple of semesters at uni when Kiyoko had had to listen to Yui talk about how much she missed Daichi. Eventually, Yui and Daichi had decided that the whole long distance thing wasn't for them, and Kiyoko would've had to lie if she said that the breakup didn't come as a relief. It was the only time in her life when she had really felt guilty about her crush. Most of the time, though, Kiyoko was fine. And how could she be anything else but fine? Yui was her best friend and she wasn't going to let anything come between them. Not her jealousy, and certainly not her glamour. She had everything under control, thank you very much.

 

~~~

 

Yui showed off the bruises on her arms like they were medals. They stood out brightly against her skin, and Kiyoko would've probably been worried if she hadn't known that Yui had been going to volleyball practice every other day for an entire week now.

“I thought I'd be really out of shape, but I haven't completely lost my touch,” Yui said as she rolled down her sleeves again.

Kiyoko sighed and sat down next to her on the couch. “Sometimes I wonder if I could still do hurdles, but I think I'll just stick to going for a run in the park now and then.”

“What are we going to watch?” Yui asked, grabbing one of Kiyoko's throw pillows and hugging it close.

“Hitoka-chan – one of our secretaries – recommended a romantic comedy to me, so I thought we could give that a shot,” Kiyoko suggested, navigating the streaming service with the remote control.

“Two perpetually single women watching a romantic comedy,” Yui mused. “We're a living cliché... Is what I would say if I didn't love romantic comedies so much.”

Kiyoko chuckled as she leaned back against the couch, her right arm brushing against Yui's left.

This was more than just fine, Kiyoko thought. Being friends with Yui was fantastic.

And maybe one day Kiyoko would work up the guts to tell her how she felt. And it would be alright. It had to be.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what it is with me and adding AkiSae weddings to my fics lmao


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the last chapter! I hope you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it :)  
> [This chapter is also available as a Podfic!](https://soundcloud.com/user-721921950/lets-not-pretend-chapter-3)

Having your mind messed with by a mind healer felt entirely different from being glamoured. Yui vividly remembered the draw of Kiyoko's glamour from the time when Kiyoko's powers had first manifested. She'd always thought that Kiyoko was cute, but when under the influence of the glamour, Kiyoko's beauty would dazzle you and leave you slightly disoriented once she left. Sitting in Saeko-san's office and having her mental state altered, Yui mostly felt pleasantly calm and contented. As Saeko-san had explained in the first session, mind healing for mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder mostly came down to assessing the patient's mood and correcting it with magic. It served the same purpose as the drugs regular psychiatrists prescribed, but the side-effects were comparatively minimal.

Magic alone wasn't enough to heal anyone, though. Yui had to change some of her behaviours and actively work on her mental health. And with her brash and direct nature, Saeko-san was the perfect person to guide Yui on her way.

 

~~~

 

It took a while for Yui to really understand how much therapy was helping her.

“Oh my god, I can't wear this,” Kiyoko said as she stepped out of the dressing room in a short pink dress. Yui noticed immediately why Kiyoko wasn't happy with it. It was a little _too_ short. Not that Yui would have complained, she barely even managed to draw her eyes away from Kiyoko's legs, but the look on Kiyoko's face was distinctly displeased as she pulled at the hemline of the dress.

Yui cleared her throat. “The colour's good, though,” she said. “I'll go look for one with a similar colour while you change!”

Quickly, she rushed towards the dress section of the shop, feeling quite hot around the ears.

When had been the last time she registered another person as being attractive? Maybe before she had lost her old job. Definitely before she had spiralled into depression. There just wasn't any room for romance when she was struggling to function like a proper human being. But now that she thought about it, she realised that it had been weeks since she last suffered from sleep-deprivation.

 

~~~

 

Yui could've avoided this situation if she had just done a load of laundry yesterday. But yesterday had been one of _those_ days. The ones on which it was barely possible to leave her bed for anything other than using the bathroom and eating the bare minimum of food.

Now she was rummaging through her closet in the morning, desperately trying to find something she could wear to the office. They didn't have a particularly strict dress code at work, but Yui didn't want to give her co-workers any reason to gossip about her.

She paused when she felt a familiar silky fabric beneath her fingers. As she pulled out the low-cut, dark-green top, she tried to think of the last time she'd had a reason to wear this. Back in the day, she had bought it for the occasional night out, but it had been over a year since she had last been to a club. Did she even still have the black skirt she liked to wear with the top?

Shaking her head, Yui threw the top behind her and resumed her search for work-appropriate clothes.

_Later_ , she thought.

 

~~~

 

It was hard to hear each other over the loud music.

“Let's go!” Kiyoko yelled, grabbing Yui's hand and dragging her onto the dance floor.

Yui could feel the thumping of the base deep in her bones. In combination with the two drinks she'd shared with Kiyoko, the vibrations were almost entrancing. Even more intoxicating was Kiyoko's proximity. Both of them had still been university students when they'd last gone clubbing just the two of them. And now they were dancing again, shoved close together in a crowd of people moving to the beat.

Yui couldn't take her eyes off Kiyoko's face. She'd opted to wear contacts tonight, giving Yui a clear view of her beautiful eyes, and her bright red lipstick made her smile even more pronounced.

When Kiyoko shyly placed a hand on Yui's hip, a thought flashed through Yui's mind.

_Kiyoko doesn't need a glamour to enchant me_ .

And before Yui properly registered what she was doing, she loosely wrapped her hands around Kiyoko's neck. The smile she received in return, made Yui's head spin.

 

~~~

 

Hours later they were sitting on Kiyoko's couch, facing each other. The buzz of the alcohol and music had long worn off.

“I was always worried that you would think you were only being influenced by my glamour,” Kiyoko confessed, nervously fiddling with the hem of her blouse.

“You haven't had problems controlling it in years. I'm not just interested in you because you've accidentally manipulated me.”

“I'm glad.”

Kiyoko moved her hand to rest on Yui's knee. Swallowing hard, Yui placed her own hand over Kiyoko's.

“So... We're dating now?” Yui asked, just to make sure.

Kiyoko laughed nervously. “I sure hope so.”

“And does that mean that I'm allowed to kiss you?”

“Yeah,” Kiyoko breathed out, leaning closer in anticipation.

Their first kiss was everything Yui had hoped it would be.

 

~~~

 

Saeko-san looked amazing in her wedding dress, and Yui couldn't blame the groom for tearing up at the sight of her walking down the aisle. Maybe it was weird to attend her therapist's wedding, but Yui didn't really care. It wasn't like Saeko-san had invited her personally. Yui was just a plus-one.

When Akiteru-san leaned down to kiss his new wife, Yui laced her fingers with Kiyoko's, gently squeezing her girlfriend's hand.

Yui still had bad days sometimes. Of course, being in a relationship hadn't cured her. But it was reassuring to know that Kiyoko was by her side, even when it was hard to get out of bed in the morning.

And one day in the future, it could be them, sealing their commitment to each other in a kiss in front of their friends and family.

 

**Author's Note:**

> [my tumblr](http://gilrael.tumblr.com)


End file.
